Two Can Play At That Game
by DiceGypsy
Summary: Juliet decides to try to beat Shawn at his own flirty little game. Set as if Shawn and Jules were not yet dating at Scare-Fest, nor dating other people.  Just good old fashioned fun Shules fluff with a good dose of Shawn and Gus friendship too.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own **_**Psych **_**or any of the name brands, characters, or places used in this fiction.**

**This is my first fanfiction ever. Please enjoy and comment/review. Thanks!**

* * *

Two can play at that game

"Come on Jules, it'll be fun!"

A wisp of hair dropped down from behind the blond detective's ear, mimicking her exasperation with the two men standing at her desk.

"Shawn I told you, it's just not my thing okay. Now can you guys please find something else to do? I'm a little busy here." She continued furiously typing on her desktop keyboard, trying desperately to get through the remainder of the week's paper work. It had been a busy week and all of her administrative work had, as usual, been pushed until the last minute on Friday. A handful of case reports piled high on her desk and a collection of pencils and papers littered any free spaces not otherwise taken by her empty coffee cup and muffin wrappers. Two or three forgotten pencils poked out of the bun in her hair which was beginning to fall apart.

Gus chimed in helpfully. "Juliet, Scare-Fest is a time honored tradition. We go every year! Of course, _I_ usually purchase the tickets, but it was _Shawn's_ turn and he accidentally got three instead of two."

"Gus, I told you, it's not my fault. My phone got temperamental and all auto-correcty," Shawn waved his iPhone, complete with green Psych cover, at Gus's face.

"I still don't understand why you couldn't use your computer to order the tickets." Gus retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Because my reminder popped up on my phone when I was in line at Jamba Juice and I didn't have my computer in front of me," Shawn said matter-of-factly. "Torn between Scare-Fest tickets and an Aloha Pineapple smoothie, I made the best choice of action!"

"Shawn, you could have called me. I was at the office…"

"How was I going to… Oh yea, I did have my phone…"

"Enough!" Juliet threw her hands in the air and stared at both of them in turn. "You guys, seriously, I have a lot of paperwork to do. Can you at least go sit somewhere else if you're going to hang out at the station?" They both donned sheepish grins like grade-schoolers caught in the hallway during classes and stepped away from her desk a few feet. Juliet sighed a moment of relief and went back to her case files. She picked up another pencil, made a notation in the file, and stuck the pencil in her hair with the others to be forgotten.

"Dude, don't worry, she'll say yes," Shawn whispered with complete confidence. "We'll just hang out until she's done with her paperwork and ask again."

"Fine, but I'm going to go hit the vending machine for a snack, you want anything?" Gus replied, his feet already beginning to move in that direction.

"Oo! Get me a bag of Bugles," Shawn chose excitedly.

"You know that's right…" Gus nodded approvingly as he walked away.

Shawn settled himself in a chair caddy-corner to Juliet's desk. From his vantage point, he was able to watch as the young detective feverishly scribbled on her files, stopping occasionally to form a thought. She would screw up her face looking up and to the side as she searched for the correct word, and this made Shawn smirk. _She is so adorable…_

As she typed, Shawn's smirks caught her eye and made her look his way. She blinked a few times and turned back to her work. She tried to fight back a smile – sort of successfully – and a blush – very unsuccessfully. His smirk widened to a full grin. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed deeply. _Why is he just looking at me like that? Come on O'Hara… just focus…_ She decided some filing of what finished paperwork she had was in order. She grabbed the smaller stack of finished case files and strode off toward the stairs.

"Where you going?" Shawn's voice followed her steps as he sidled up beside her.

"To file these," she answered concisely.

"Why?"

"Because they are files, Shawn. That's what you do with finished files. You file them."

"So you're finished then?"

"No. I still have a few to do." They descended the stairs together and turned the corner to the filing cabinets.

Shawn rolled around the corner fluidly to put his back against the wall and face her as she opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet. "So… about that Scare-Fest ticket…" He offered casually. "Why are you so against going with us?"

"Because, Shawn, unlike you two, I don't like to pay to get the wits scared out of me. Why would people like that?" She thumbed through the folders, and found the spot for the first file.

"Well you don't have to pay; Gus already paid." He retorted.

"I thought Gus said you got the tickets…"

"Yea, but it was his credit card, so teeeeechhnically…" He juggled his hands back and forth, shrugging.

"Shawn…" Juliet sighed as she placed the second file in its spot.

"Anyway, come on Jules, getting the beans scared out of you is fun! It's exciting and makes you know you're alive!"

"By being startled by a puppet on a string or a rubber spider? That's not scary… that flustering…there's a difference."

Shawn seemed amused by her distinction. "How so?"

She explained as she closed the top drawer and opened the one beneath it, continuing her search. "Scary is something that sticks with you. It's like the difference between a psychologically scary movie and one where the bad guy jumps out at you for cheap scares. Those types of places will try to fluster you by making things jump out at you, not really scare you." She dropped the third and final file into the drawer.

"So you'd rather be scared than flustered? But you like being flustered!" Shawn said with a mischievous grin.

Juliet opened her mouth to answer, and then closed it again, obviously stumped. "I… um… what?"

Shawn deftly closed the drawer that she had left open with his hip and moved around the dumbfounded detective, breathing very slowly and looking deep into her eyes. She backed into the file cabinet and blinked frantically trying to steady her breath. "Shawn what are you doing?" Another lock of golden hair fell out of her bun and down the side of her face.

"Proving my point…" He whispered huskily.

"What point is that?" She could barely manage a whisper in response; he was so close to her. "Need I remind you that you've pulled this trick already… Very-close-talking got you nowhere before…"

He edged closer. "What if I said I'm not just very-close-talking this time?" He tucked the escaped strands behind her ear gently.

Juliet held her breath and did her best to keep her composure. "Shawn…"

He chuckled and stood back up straight. "See, you enjoy be flustered…" He grinned and leaned back against the table behind him, crossing his arms across his chest triumphantly.

Juliet glared at him for a moment then an impish smile played at the corners of her mouth and she cocked an eye brow. _Oh yea? Two can play at that game._ "What if I said you're right? What if I _do_ like being flustered by you?"

Shawn's triumphant grin fell as his jaw dropped open slightly. "Wha…"

Juliet pulled the pencils out of her hair and each strand cascaded over her shoulders. Setting the pencils on the filing cabinet, she slowly took one tiny step toward the never-before silenced Shawn Spencer. "What if I said I _do _like it?" Another step. "That I like _you_." A third step. "That I _want_ you." Juliet's final step brought her inches from Shawn's face and his balance faltered. He fell back, sitting on the table and catching his balance by propping himself up on his arms. She brushed her hair back temptingly and leaned in closer to his face, her voice a breathy whisper. "What if I said you aren't the only one… who's good… at…" she fluttered her eyelids for a second as if she was going to close them. Shawn gulped audibly and his eyes shut unconsciously. He felt her breath on his lips whisper "Very… Close… Talking." The last word didn't have the same breathy allure to it, but a victorious smirking sound.

Shawn's eyes shot open and there he sat, lips pursed awkwardly and leaning back on a table as Juliet O'Hara ascended the stairs in front of him. She flipped her hair and a cocky smile over her shoulder at his shocked expression as she disappeared past the banister.

He released the breath that he didn't know he was holding. He unfroze himself from his stunned position, running his fingers through his hair. "Woah…" He had never been more attracted to Juliet than at that very moment.

* * *

"Where'd Shawn go?" Gus greeted Juliet holding 4 bags of Bugles, 2 Kit-Kat Bars, 2 Dr. Peppers, and a bag of Swedish Fish in his arms.

"I think he's downstairs." Juliet laughed quietly to herself. She was on a slight confidence high from flustering Shawn so well. She sat herself down and began typing away happily.

Gus looked at her quizzically than shrugged. He plopped down in a chair across from Juliet's desk and laid his treats on the chair next to him, popping open a Dr. Pepper. Shawn's steps came clomping down the hall from the stairs. He had one pencil tucked behind his ear and few more in his shirt pocket. He looked a little off kilter but was attempting an air of nonchalance. "Hey Buddy, what'd you find?"

Gus gestured to his chair of spoils and toasted his Dr. Pepper in Shawn's direction. Shawn joined him in the chair he had previously vacated, snatched up a bag of Bugles, and munched on them absently. Juliet typed away on her keyboard, keeping her eyes on her computer screen and smiling self-confidently. Shawn watched her as he munched. _How did she do that? I've never seen her actually flirt back like that! Was it just flirting? Oh come on, not with those eyes. Or… well whatever, she's not going to get the better of me again. Two can play at that game…_ He crunched down on another Bugle with authority. Juliet raised an eyebrow in his direction with a stony stare and he stopped chewing on his loud, crunchy snack. He quietly put down the Bugles – as quietly as one can put down a snack bag – and began munching on the much quieter Swedish Fish. Gus looked from Juliet to Shawn and back again with obvious confusion.

"O'Hara, how are those case files coming?" Chief Vick's voice rang out from the door to her office.

"Not too shabby, Chief. Almost finished." Juliet's response sounded chipper and not normally the voice of someone doing paperwork on a Friday afternoon.

"Are you feeling okay, O'Hara?" The Chief smiled questioningly at the junior detective.

"I'm great, Chief. Just having a good day, how are you?" Juliet smiled in return. Shawn gnawed the head off of another Swedish Fish.

"Mr. Guster. Mr. Spencer. Fancy seeing you here when there are no active cases for you to work on." Chief Vick greeted the two snack hoarders taking residence in her police station.

"Well Chief, my psychic signals were feeling a bit… flustered…" He glanced sidelong at Juliet to catch her smile as she didn't look away from her screen. "…back at the 'ol Psych office, so I assumed that meant there could be something happening her at the 'ol S. B. P. D."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you Mr. Spencer, but it's been a pretty quiet afternoon. We don't have anything for you, or else we would have called you. As you know." The Chief sounded like she was trying very hard to be patient with her two favorite outside hires.

"We're sorry to drop by unannounced, Chief Vick," Gus offered, "but we had an extra ticket to Scare-Fest this weekend and we were offering it to Detective O'Hara here."

Chief Vick chuckled softly. "I don't believe you two know any other way to come around the police station but unannounced, Mr. Guster…"

"Oh con-trey-ry, Chief Vick-" Shawn began to respond.

"It's au contraire, Shawn." Gus corrected.

"I've heard it both ways."

"No you haven't."

"Chief, we've arrived at your request, Lassie's request, the lovely Detective O'Hara's request, under duress, when stressed…" Shawn nodded to Gus.

"To address. With a guest…" He nodded back.

"In jest. With zest. On a quest…"

"To _pro_test, _im_press, and _as_sess."

"Whaaat?" They shared a fist bump.

Chief Vick raised her hand to stop any further rhyming. "Gentlemen. Just… don't bother my detectives while they finish their work."

"Right-o, Chief. Oh, while you're here. Would you like a Swedish Fish?" Shawn offered the Chief his half eaten bag of candies. "They're sweet." He paused and nodded to the side in thought. "…ish." The Chief rolled her eyes and chuckled as she walked back to her office. Shawn turned to Gus. "But never with the Psych-Signal…" He sighed dejected. Gus nodded, "Psht, that's messed up…"

About fourty minutes later, Juliet shut the folder of her last case file with a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and stretched high above her head. _And with twenty minutes to spare; well done O'Hara!_ She congratulated herself and opened her eyes as she stood to begin packing up. She started as Shawn and Gus were both standing at the front of her desk, staring at her. "Jeez guys, a little creepy much?"

"Jules, come on. We already got the ticket and if you don't come we have to take Lassie, and that'll just be no fun for anyone." Shawn pleaded.

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine! I'll go, what time do I need to be there?"

Both Shawn and Gus's faces lit up like Christmas morning, making Juliet smile quietly. "Don't worry, I'll drive. We'll be at your apartment at 2 'o clock tomorrow afternoon," Gus answered assertively. He began gathering up the snack wrappers and empty bottles on their treasure chair.

Juliet stopped gathering her things to look at Gus "2 'o clock? Doesn't it open at 4?"

"We have to be first in line," Gus said, as if this answer was the most obvious assertion.

"Oookay," she responded and made a mental note to pack snacks in her purse.

"This is going to be so much fun, you'll see!" Shawn encouraged with a child like excitement.

Juliet shrugged. "I guess it _could_ be fun…" She raised an eyebrow at Shawn suggestively and his breath almost caught.

He composed himself quickly and smirked at her. "Yes… it will…" He circled her desk quickly and got really close in her face. "You are so on, lady."

"Bring it, Spencer."

"Oh, it's already been brought'n."

They both blinked and looked confused at Shawn's choice of movie reference.

Gus stood on the opposite side of Juliet's desk looking from one to the other again, clutching the trash from their snack pile. "Um…"

"Let's go Gus." Shawn made a dramatic about face and strode off determinedly.

"Uh, see you tomorrow," Gus nodded to Juliet and followed his best friend.

She giggled and grabbed her coat. _Well, this should be interesting._

* * *

"Dude, _what_ is going on?" Gus questioned Shawn as they got to The Blueberry in the police department's parking lot.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shawn breezed. They both got into the car and clicked their seatbelts.

"Don't play, Shawn. You and Juliet; what is going on? Are you guys angry at each other or something?" Gus asked as he started up the car and headed to drop Shawn off at his apartment.

"No man. It seems we're in some sort of competition…" Shawn answered distractedly. _ And I'm going to win._ He began plotting in his head.

"Oh that doesn't sound like it's going to end well. What exactly do you mean 'competition'?"

"I'm not exactly sure but I have a feeling either Juliet really digs me… or she is much more pure evil than I thought she was…"

Gus just shook his head at Shawn. _I'm going to have to stock up on ice cream and pineapple slices again._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own**_**Psych**_**or any of the name brands, characters, or places used in this fiction.**

**Sorry for taking so dang long to update. Moved to Europe out of the blue and took a while to get settled.**

**Thank you for the comments I received, and I'm happy to see people enjoyed my first go at writing. Fyi, the Scare-Fest in this fic is different to the show in that it never shut down and there will not be a murder involved. But it is a fun setting! **

**Please enjoy and again, comments/reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

After her morning jog, Juliet spent her Saturday morning looking for things to do around the house. She was too spun up to really focus on anything she started. Flipping through the channels on her T.V. and thumbing through her newspaper couldn't keep her interest. Her cat was lazily snoozing at her feet on the couch when she finally set down the fruitless paper and tapped her fingers on her knees, looking around for something else to occupy her attention.

O'Hara the detective usually liked to know what she was getting into; where she was going, what to expect. But today, Juliet the civilian had no idea what to expect out of a trip to Scare-Fest with Shawn and Gus. She was surprised to find that this excited her instead of frustrating her the way it would in other company.

"It'll be fun!" They had both exclaimed. _Fun. _She nodded slowly to herself. _That would be nice, I haven't had a good day out just having fun in a while._ Smiling, she fondly remembered the carnivals she had been to as a child. Shawn always seemed to have a child-like enthusiasm for having fun, and Juliet decided maybe she'd try to enjoy this the way he would – just have fun!

Juliet glanced to the clock on the wall and decided it was late enough that she could start getting ready for the outing. As she shifted, her cat glared at her and reluctantly moved to free her feet.

After deciding on the correct clothes to wear, fixing her hair just right, and adding just a touch of makeup, she clipped a tiny pearl in each earlobe. Studying the little details in her floor length mirror, she smiled sweetly. _Ain't you a heartbreaker?_ She blew herself a kiss in the mirror and winked playfully.

Was she going too far with this? Was she enjoying this a little _too_ much? She shook her head and brushed off her concerns. All of this flirting was just in good fun, right? Shawn flirted all the time. _With most women he comes in contact with, might I add._ It was time to beat him at his own game.

A few quick knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts and she saw herself in the mirror, her face lighting up. She blinked and corrected herself. _It's just Gus and Shawn. Not like you're on a date or anything…_ She looked at herself in the mirror again and gulped. _Did I just dress for a date?_ She looked frantically for a moment from her shoes to her nails to the pin in her hair.

"Psht… nah… I didn't… do…" She shook her head as she lied to herself. The door knock rapped a little harder this time and she dashed for the living room.

As she reached the door, she took a deep breath. She smoothed out her skirt and brushed her hair back behind her shoulders. Finishing off her outfit with a winning smile, she swung open the door to greet the two men on her welcome mat.

"Hey guys, come on in!" Her voice rang out a little higher pitched than she'd anticipated.

"Afternoon, Juliet," Gus greeted cordially and stepped inside.

Shawn followed Gus's lead and crossed the threshold, closing the door behind him. He turned to see Juliet wearing a soft white cotton dress with subtle detailing on the fabric and a deep blue cardigan hugging her arms and shoulders. Her flowing blonde hair curled lazily down her back and was pinned up slightly in the front. Shawn loved it when she wore her hair down and almost couldn't handle how blue the cardigan made her eyes. _Beautiful_.

He cleared his throat and nodded "Hey Jules, you all ready?" _Did my voice just crack? No… just my imagination. _As no one else seemed to react, he cleared his throat again and leaned somewhat nonchalantly on the wall.

"Yea, let me just grab my purse and I'll be ready to go," she spun around and headed toward the back of her apartment.

Shawn watched Juliet's retreating form until she was out of sight. He looked around, not having ever seen Juliet's apartment before. While drinking in every detail, he adjusted the collar of his dark green polo shirt nervously.

"So, when we get to the grounds, first thing is to get in line. You got the tickets?" Gus began the plans for the day.

Shawn pretended to pad his pockets as if he forgot them, almost sending Gus into a frantic state. He smiled and pulled out the three tickets, fanning them out to show Gus.

"Of course I have them! Hey, should we stop for tacos on the way?" Gus sent a glance over his shoulder at Shawn that said 'of course, who do you think I am?'

Juliet's cat ambled up and brushed against first Gus's shins, then Shawn's. Placing the tickets securely in his back pocket, Shawn reached down absentmindedly and scratched behind the cat's ears.

"Okay…" Juliet walked back to the living room with her purse slung over her shoulder. Standing still for a moment, she closed her eyes and began pointing in different directions, mumbling under her breath. Shawn caught a few words – "purse, keys, fed the cat"; she was going through a mental checklist to make sure she remembered everything.

A smile spread across Shawn's lips. He thoroughly enjoyed these little details about Juliet's personality. He wiped his hand down his face to right himself before she noticed.

"Got everything?" He said with a chuckle.

Juliet opened her eyes and half glared at him jokingly, "Yea, I'm good. Let's go."

They all left out the door, Juliet calling back into the apartment. "Be good Smokey! I'll be back later!" She shut and locked the door and turned around to face her friends.

Shawn and Gus exchanged a smirk. "Does he ever answer you?" Shawn asked in a very serious tone. Juliet rolled her eyes and huffed at him. "It's a she… and no." She turned and led the way down the stairs, followed by Shawn, with Gus bringing up the rear.

Juliet stopped and turned to Shawn when they got to the middle landing. "Oh, and by the way…" she said with a subtle drawl to her voice.

Shawn almost blanched but composed himself quickly. _Oh wow she's starting up already?_ He smirked at her with a raise of his eyebrow. "Yea?"

She blinked slowly as if she was going to say something really important, then she broke into a giggle. Spinning around in place, she started skipping the rest of the way down the stairs while saying, "Shot-gun!" in a sing-songy voice over her shoulder, like a little girl teasing a boy on the playground. Shawn blinked awkwardly for a few moments and looked back at Gus, who merely shrugged.

"Hey, no fair!" Shawn yelled after her and bolted down the steps. Gus chuckled to himself and shook his head as he pulled out his keys and followed them down to the parking lot.

Juliet reached the car first, even though she was in wedge sandals and carrying a bulky purse. She touched the passenger car door handle and said "Ha! Beat you, Spencer!" She stuck her tongue out like a child and giggled. She knew she was being childish but she was having fun. Hanging out with Shawn and Gus outside of the station seemed to make her just want to enjoy living.

Shawn was moments behind her, running full bore across the lot. He skidded to a stop inches from Juliet's body and she fell back into the side of the car with him propping himself up, his hands on either side of her. Dipping his head for a moment, he breathed heavily. He looked up into her face, catching his breath.

"Fine… You get shot gun…This time… I'll get you next time." He grinned suggestively which made Juliet's heart do a back flip. She was able to keep her cool, however barely, even though Shawn was breathing so close to her. Shawn could still tell; he could always tell the affect he had on her.

She looked him straight in the face coolly and smiled, "We'll see about that." Gus stood at the driver side door and coughed subtly. Shawn withdrew sinuously from her personal space, a half smile lifting the side of his lips and his dark green eyes shining. He ducked into the back seat and Juliet settled herself into the front seat. She loved when he wore dark green shirts; it made his eyes so beautiful.

* * *

Once the car was parked and locked at Scare-Fest, Shawn and Gus sprinted from the spot and began to weave back and forth as if dodging invisible pedestrian traffic on their way to the gate. Juliet casually strolled up to the gate to join them as they panted for air. She looked at them both in turn questioningly.

"We gotta be first in line Jules. It's tradition." Shawn said breathlessly, doubled over with his hands on his knees.

"How many times have you been to this thing?" She asked, amazed at the excitement coming from both of them.

"We went every year when we were kids." Shawn righted himself and looked to Gus for concurrence.

"And every year since." Gus nodded truthfully.

"I see. Wouldn't the attractions become less scary after a while?" She asked curiously. They both stared at her blankly as if they didn't comprehend her words.

"Nevermind, sounds like fun!" She answered enthusiastically. Cheery smiles popped back onto both of their faces again and they nodded back.

After about an hour of "You remember that one year with the…" stories between the two of them, catching Juliet up on all of the amazing times they've spent here, she felt her tummy rumble slightly. _Sure, you weren't hungry when they got tacos_, she teased herself. She pulled a granola bar out of her large beach style bag. Unwrapping the snack, she munched off a piece and chewed quietly to herself.

The boys turned to look at her like puppies that just noticed their owner with a bag of treats. She smiled kindly, knowing she was going to regret feeding them sugar this early in the afternoon. She liberated two small pouches of candy from her bag and their eyes went wide. She giggled as they grappled for the bags, Shawn gaining the candied pineapple, while Gus snatched the Sour Patch Kids.

"We need to bring you next year! This is awesome having someone with a purse!" Shawn said. She smiled as they dived into their treats. They ended up getting hungry not long after that and she pulled out the chips she had stored as well.

At a sugar-induced, slightly faster clip, they continued with more stories and once it was about 3:30, they started counting down the time. Every few minutes, Gus would check his watch and give an update on the time left. By now there were more people in line behind them, giving inquiring looks of _how long have they been here?_

The gates opened sharply at 4:00 and Shawn and Gus strode forward like conquering heroes entering a successfully sieged castle. They took a moment to congratulate themselves on being the first into the park while the greeter handed Juliet a map of the event. She handed the map to Gus and Shawn and they sprinted to find the nearest park bench. They laid the map out ceremoniously and began pouring over it, deciding what they were going to do first and showing Juliet all the fun they were going to have.

"Do you have a pen in your purse, Juliet?" Gus asked, wanting to circle the attractions they planned to visit.

"I got it." Shawn quickly pulled out a pencil from his back pocket and handed it to Gus, keeping his eyes on the map. Juliet's jaw dropped silently as she recognized the purple and pink swirls crawling up the stalk of the pencil that had been keeping her hair up in a bun yesterday afternoon. Her breath caught for a moment as she remembered Shawn's smoldering eyes, inches from her face.

"What do _you_ think, Juliet?" Shawn asked innocently, looking up to see her far off gazing. He smiled to himself.

She blinked back out of her memory. "Hmm? Yea, that sounds good," she smiled and nodded to them. "You guys know this place better than I do, so lead the way."

While it was still early and the sun was up, they decided to play a few carnival games. Juliet schooled them both at Whack-a-Mole, Gus and Shawn competed a little too intensely at throwing baseballs into milk bottles, and Shawn was a crack shot at the water gun game. He snuck up behind Juliet with a scary looking mummy doll that he had won, receiving a slug in the shoulder in retaliation.

Finally, the sky began to soften to a darker color after about an hour or so of fun, and they started to walk towards the haunted houses area. Shawn would occasionally 'accidentally' brush against Juliet's hand, sending shivers down her spine, but she played it cool. _Don't let him get to you, O'Hara. Not today, you're going to win this one._

"Where are we heading now?" Juliet asked. Shawn held up a finger, watching his best friend closely. Gus walked ahead of them slowly and cautiously, eyeing the frightening building in front of them distrustfully. An attendant manned the one large door, letting in a couple of patrons at a time. There were mummies, skeletons, bats, and cobwebs hanging from the walls.

"What is it?" Juliet questioned Shawn quietly.

"Wait for it," Shawn answered with a knowing smile, keeping his eyes on Gus, "Wait for iiiiit…"

Gus spun around quickly and attempted to don a casual expression. "Hey, I have to go to the bathroom, you two go ahead."

Shawn pursed his lips and gave a knowing glance to Juliet with a '_Sure he does_' look.

"Besides, they only let groups of two at a time. Juliet can go into the Scream Shack, and I'll go with Shawn into the House of Horrors," Gus explained, as if he was being very logical.

"What's the difference?" Juliet asked, not sure if Gus was overreacting or not.

"In one, Gus has to pay attention to where he is walking, and the other allows him to hide his eyes while he rides through," Shawn explained matter-of-factly.

"Shut up, Shawn, I just have to go to the bathroom," Gus answered moodily, looking around for a sign pointing the way to the bathroom. He marched off with his head held high.

"Does this stuff really scare him?" Juliet asked, not sure if they were joking around.

"This particular one he doesn't like. Something about getting lost because there's no track. Even though there is no way to get lost in there, it's all basically one hallway that twists and turns." Shawn chuckled at his retreating best friend.

Juliet smiled at Shawn and Gus's friendship. She looked back to the line and shrugged, "Shall we then?"

Shawn looked back to her with a concerned look, "First, I must ask you, Detective. Are you sure you're ready for this? It's very scary…Possibly even flustering at times." He raised his hands as if he were prepared to steady her if need be.

Juliet leaned slightly, placing the back of her hand on her forehead as if to faint. Giggling at herself, she straightened up and rolled her eyes playfully, leading the way to their spot in line. "Come on, scaredy cat, I think we'll survive."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Psych_ or any of the name brands, characters, or places used in this fiction.**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I love hearing what you think of the story, keep 'em coming.**

* * *

Juliet and Shawn waited in line for a few minutes behind two other sets of patrons. After the second pair disappeared into the darkness of the building, Shawn leaned close to Juliet's ear while she was facing away from him and breathily asked, "Are you scared, detective?"

She jumped a little, but not from fright. His warm breath in the cool air sent goose bumps across her neck and down her arms. She forced herself to chuckle once softly and she turned her face toward him.

"I don't know that I'm the one who should be scared " She drawled. Her eyes looked down and silently traced up Shawn's person until reaching his eyes. She smirked suggestively and turned back toward the building as she moved up to be at the front of the line.

Shawn stood at their original spot for a moment in slight surprise, shuffling forward when the person behind him coughed impatiently. He was always surprised by Juliet; no one else ever did that to him but she did. Ever since the first day they met and she quipped back to his flirtations at the diner. She hadn't stopped surprising him since and he loved it.

After a few minutes, the attendant jabbed his open palm towards Shawn and took their tickets, waving his hand behind him to signal it was their turn. They ducked under the black webbed drapes and moved into the dark hallway. Shawn led the way slowly.

"Don't worry Jules; I'm here if you get scared. I can understand how these places can do strange things to people," he almost gloated in a jokingly patronizing tone. The hall was filled with tape recorded scary noises and the occasional scream.

As they walked, Juliet reached up behind Shawn's head and traced the nail of her finger very delicately down his neck. He screamed at a very high pitch, waving his hands around his head and punching a stuffed mummy for good measure. Juliet laughed hysterically at his reaction and he glared at her as she sauntered past him. "Oh sorry, did I scare you?" She swayed her hips as she walked, holding her chin up confidently.

They entered into a dark room that seemed slanted due to the glow-in-the-dark paint on the floors. Bracing herself for the incline, Juliet tentatively moved forward. Unfortunately for her, the ground never actually slanted and she stumbled a little. Shawn chuckled and followed her lead, strolling easily across the floor of the room with his years of experience.

He whistled calmly as they crossed into the next area. Loud steam pressure noises greeted them in the next room with zombies leaning in and out of sight in various contorted and bloody positions. The floor shifted rigidly with the sounds and Juliet had to focus in order to walk straight. She held her hands out at her sides as if searching for invisible hand railings. A particularly sharp shifting plate caught the heel of her shoe and she gasped loudly, tumbling backwards. Shawn reached out instinctively for her hands to steady her and ended up catching her around the waist as she grasped desperately at his arms for support.

"Watch that step, it's a doozy," he laughed.

"You knew it was going to do that?" Juliet accused, looking up at him as she found her equilibrium. Even in the dark, Shawn could make out the fresh, red color their closeness brought to her cheeks.

He used one arm to support Juliet as she righted herself and the other to lift his hand to his temple in his classic psychic position. She just huffed and smiled, shaking her head. "Of course "

He smirked and grabbed her hand, deftly maneuvering them through the rest of the shifty hallway and to the base of a set of stairs that was draped in dark curtains and cob webs.

"Thanks Shawn, but I think I can manage now," Juliet teased as she eyed Shawn's hand in her own.

"You sure? Cause you seemed a little flustered back there," He ribbed.

"Heh, in your dreams " She scoffed light heartedly and turned, heading up the stairs.

"You have no idea," he breathed to himself with a smile.

At the top of the stairs, Juliet was met with a mirror that was turned at an angle. A groan escaped her lips and her shoulders dropped a little. She had never liked mirror mazes; they get her a little edgy when she can't find an easy way out. Hopefully, having a psychic with her would make this one easier.

She turned the corner and reached out for the mirror in front of her to make sure it was a mirror and not a passage. She sighed in relief as she started making her way. As she reached for the next mirror, her heart sank into her stomach. When she touched the cool surface, the mirror became a clear glass window framing a frightening figure which was highlighted on the other side. She screamed briefly from the shock and leaped backward, pressing her back against another mirror. She breathed deeply and shook herself. Oh come on, it's just a stupid horror house. She looked around her to see if Shawn had caught her embarrassing reaction and realized he was not in sight.

"Shawn? Shawn! Shawn, where are you?" She said, sounding a little more frantic than she meant to and hoping he hadn't noticed. Shaking her head, she eyed the scary mirror warily as she passed it again. She turned another corner and saw Shawn.

"Oh, there you are! What happened?" He didn't seem to hear her and was looking in the other direction. She walked up to what she saw, realizing it was a reflection of him from another place in the maze. He looked like he was saying "Juliet!" but the eerie music and sounds running through the speakers made it impossible to hear him. He ran his hands through his hair as if he was a little frustrated.

Where'd she go? He thought. He turned to walk in another direction and caught her reflection. His mouth split into an award winning smile and waved enthusiastically at Juliet's reflection.

She made a questioning face and shrugged her shoulders, trying to make it clear that she was lost. Holding up his hands to reassure her, he pointed to his right. She mimicked his pointing and he nodded.

"Okay " Juliet shrugged and took a few steps to the direction he pointed. They continued this for a few mirror reflections until finally, when Shawn pointed and Juliet took the turn, she ran straight into Shawn himself with an "Oof!"

"Finally! Stupid mirrors ," Juliet grumbled and Shawn laughed. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Come on Jules, I heard you scream earlier. Something scared you! Wasn't that fun?" Shawn laughed again.

"I don't think fun was the word I would use at the time, startling maybe."

Shawn brushed her hair behind her shoulder and smiled, turning Juliet to face the last mirror they had passed. "You can't look at yourself and tell me you aren't having fun," Shawn whispered, leaning down very close to her ear. Her eyelids fluttered a little, her heart speeding. He let his hands slide down the length of her arms, making her tremble slightly. He pulled them back and stuck them into his own pockets.

She sighed reluctantly. "Okay, well I am having fun. A little."

Shawn grinned back at her in the mirror, his eyes shining. He gently leaned his chin on her shoulder with a purely childlike smile playing on his lips. After a moment of them looking at each other in the mirror, a soft pink color began to creep across Juliet's cheeks. She ducked the shoulder he was leaning on and made him stumble.

She laughed, a little more nervously than she would have liked, and turned to face him with her back to the mirror. Batting her eyelashes innocently, she jokingly muttered "Oops" and shrugged in an attempt to draw attention away from her nervousness. Shawn wasn't fooled. He placed his hand on the mirror next to her head and stared at her, silently daring her not to react.

"You are incorrigible, Shawn Spencer," Juliet unconvincingly breezed as her cheeks grew more pink.

"Then don't stop encouraging me " Shawn whispered in response.

"That's not what that word means " She breathed in reply.

"Oh really? Then why is it spelled the same?" He inquired in the same solemn tone.

"It's not spelled the same," She retorted, a little confused.

"Pshht " Shawn stood up straight and lowered his arm, waving his hand as if to say he didn't believe her. He broke the tension like popping a balloon. "Come on! We're almost done and we can go make fun of Gus for ditching us earlier!"

He enthusiastically led Juliet across a threshold into a dead-end room. He chattered away about the remainder of their plans for the evening, but Juliet lost track of his words as she began to comprehend her surroundings. She jumped when the doors slammed shut abruptly behind them and the room began to rattle ominously.

"What's going on?" Juliet asked frantically. She spun around and banged on the doors behind them. Breathing heavily and obviously distressed, she tried to pry the doors back open. The tiny box of a room rattled a little more, from side to side and up and down very subtly.

"Don't worry, Jules. It's just a fake earthquake. It'll lower us back to the first floor in just a second. You okay?" Shawn was getting a little concerned when he saw the hint of wetness in her eyes.

"I just I'm fine." She turned and backed herself into one of the corners of the box, eyeing the walls and rubbing her hands nervously up and down her arms. She breathed deeply, trying to steady herself but it was no good. Normally, she could handle enclosed spaces like this if she knew they were coming. This one took her by surprise and she didn't even get to count down from three.

It dawned on Shawn that maybe he didn't know everything there was to know about Juliet. He had no idea that she was claustrophobic when they came to the park, but he knew how to handle it now.

"JulesJulesJules, hey! Close your eyes." Resting his hands on her shoulder, he directed her gently.

"What?" Absently, she looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"Just do it!"

Her eyes snapped shut obediently. The elevator type room shook ominously and descended a little closer to the first floor.

"We're walking on the beach. The clear blue sky above. The spray on your face." Pausing between each picturesque description, Shawn could tell she was slowly calming down. "A seagull flying above. Ca CAW ca CAW."

Juliet smirked involuntarily as he continued.

"A man who should not be wearing that bathing suit in public."

"Shawn."

"Jules, you're safe. I'm here."

Her eyes flickered open and rested to look into his for a brief moment. They both jumped slightly with a sharp intake of breath as the doors opened with a loud metallic clang. Juliet stepped out onto the gangway and leaned against the railing for just a moment before standing up to face Shawn, obviously embarrassed.

"I'm pretty sure that's why Gus doesn't go in this one any more Sorry, I should have warned you ." Shawn apologized, sympathetically.

"You didn't know It's not your fault " She shook her head. "I don't know why I react that way, I just feel like I can't breathe, or that I can't get out." Shaking off the embarrassment, Juliet straightened up and put on a bold face, smoothing out her skirt as she gained her breath back. Shawn smiled at her, but not with his usually joking manner. It was a more caring smile, one that spoke volumes about how he didn't want to see her in a true place of fear like that ever again. Juliet and Shawn looked into each other's eyes for a moment, forgetting their surroundings, their competition, everything.

Suddenly, a bouncing rubber bat on a string flew between their faces, startling them out of their reverie. Juliet emitted a blood curdling scream, reacting as it swung strait past her eye line. Then she broke out into hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?" Shawn asked as he righted himself from where he had fallen back against the wall.

"Seriously? This thing scared me? After all that?" She continued laughing at herself and batted at the creature with her hand.

"I thought it was flustering? That didn't sound like a flustered sound to me " Her laughter was infectious and he found himself joining in.

"Oh, whatever " She whipped the tears of laughter from her eyes and continued chuckling. They laughed and ribbed each other as they headed for the remaining outdoor light that poured into the hallway from under the neon exit sign.


End file.
